Sugar is Bad. So, I’ll Just Use a Sugar Substitute

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

She’s usually the woman in the back of the room taking notes. Or maybe he’s the one who has a daily ice-tea habit. It doesn’t matter who it is, but it is always someone. In every class I teach, I talk about the negative effects of sugar. And in every class, someone raises their hand and says, “But can’t I just use a sugar substitute?” Yep, I saw it coming from a mile away.

Hey, you CAN do whatever you want. But I would suggest you shouldn’t add any more additional artificial substances to the chemical soup you’re brewing up inside your cells. The yellow, pink and blue packets are chemicals. Their structures were designed in labs. Our bodies weren’t designed to function off a mix of chemicals.

Other people on the internet write passionately about the nastiness of artificial sweeteners, so I’m not going to give you the details of how their made, what government agency doesn’t regulate them, and how long-term effects are mysteriously absent from studies. But here’s a quote from Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD (neurosurgeon):

“This particularly nasty substance should have never even been approved for human use. In fact, had it not been for some fancy footwork by those in power in the FDA, it never would have. Early experiments using low, medium and high doses with aspartame all found dramatic tumor increases in test animals. These included brain, pancreas, and breast tumors…”

It gives you something to think about, right? And I feel your pain. Remember, I was once a Diet Pepsi addict, and hey, look at me now. No brain tumor. But you know I’m just no longer comfortable hedging my bets. As I age, I don’t want my body to fight the constant battle against chemicals. Eventually, the housecleaning service gets a little lazy and starts to miss some spots. This happens as we age. Our cells aren’t as thorough at their jobs.

Of course by this point in the class everyones’ faces are grim. But then, she asks about it. Someone always does. “What about Stevia?” Ahh…some of you have been doing your research.

Stevia is an herb that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Although not the best substance to use in baked goods, stevia is excellent for sweetening drinks. I have the tiniest dash in my coffee each morning. It doesn’t act like sugar OR artificial sweeteners. It is basically benign to your system.

So leave the colorful packets in their cute little table top holders. (Let your kids play with them, the way they all do!) And concentrate on curbing your need for sweeteners. But keep asking the questions…I love questions!

This is also posted at Fight Back Friday and the Upper St. Clair Patch

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A Harry Potter Lesson in Sugar Transfiguration

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

I’m an old school Harry Potter fan. I read the first three books to my kids, but then stopped when my children were old enough to read them on their own. So I only followed the story to about book four. The first Harry Potter movie is my favorite. The wonder and awe of wizardry is still new. Harry, Ron and Hermione stare in complete amazement when each professor demonstrates their particular specialty. The art of transfiguration is by far the coolest. When Professor McGonagall changes from a cat into her stately teaching presence on the first day of school at Hogwarts, I was hooked. Wouldn’t it be fun to change objects on a whim? But magically turning something from one thing to another doesn’t just happen every day…or does it?

The sugar you eat has a transfiguration habit. And it can be a scary event. Sugar is broken down into simple sugar called glucose. This glucose circulates in the blood steam, supplying cells with fuel. If the cells don’t need any more fuel (maybe you’ve just been sitting in your cubical not burning through much cellular energy) the extra glucose magically changes into glycogen. This substance is then stored in your muscles and liver. BUT this is not the scariest transformation of sugar. The creepy music needs to cue in about right here in our sugar story….

If your body is already storing enough glycogen (think of a suitcase that will NOT hold one more pair of shoes!) then the frightening magic begins. The extra glycogen is transfigured into…FAT.

The scene in your body turns very dark with this transformation. Once this fat is stored, it is hard to get rid of. No magic spell, pill, or fad diet removes it easily. Your body burns glucose and glycogen before it burns away this fat. Once the fat from excess sugar is stored, getting rid of it is tough work. No magic spells to make it disappear.

When you’re reaching for the sugary treat that you think will magically perk you up or make your afternoon better, picture that sugar transfiguring into FAT. That feels like a bit of the dark arts to me.

This is also posted at Fight Back Friday.

What Does Shakespeare Have to Do With Sugar?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

“That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet”, says Juliet. She probably wasn’t finishing off a hot fudge sundae with Romeo as she said this, but rather a couple fresh figs would have been more her style. But I’m swiping a little poetic license from Shakespeare today and rephrasing it: “Sugar by any other name is always just as sweet.”

The brown packet feels like something you’d find in the “health food section”. Or so I thought when I would rip open a package of Sugar in the Raw. And surely brown sugar can’t be as bad as the evil white stuff, right? And honey, bees make that, it’s got to be good. Organic kids’ yogurt uses “organic evaporated cane juice”. That can’t be bad. And all sugar has to be better than high fructose corn syrup, right? Even Kool Aid has jumped on that, declaring its sugary drink better than sodas because it uses REAL sugar.

Guess what? It’s all sugar. Your cells don’t differentiate the subtle manufacturing nuances in these different forms of sugar. As consumers we’re starting to get savvy about our sugar. And baby, the manufacturing companies are listening. They still want to sell the stuff. Good old Dominoes Sugar has an organic sugar in the picture above. They’re listening and giving you a product to help you feel better about what you’re eating. But, when you ingest any sugar, (not fructose from fruit but manufactured sugar) your body reacts the same. Whether it is in the form of white crystals, brown, cane syrup or honey, your body sees sugar and kicks on the processes needed to deal with it.

And what a process it is. Multiple organs, enzymes and glands go into hyper drive when sugar hits your tongue. In my next sugar blog, we’re going to look at exactly HOW your body deals with it. And if you’re eating a lot, the scene inside isn’t pretty.

Until then…check out my 50 Names for Sugar. And remember Juliet next time you read a label.

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Peachy Kale Salad

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

This is amazing. I had seen Aarti on The Food Network make this kale salad with mangos, and had always wanted to give it a try. With an overflowing peach basket, I finally had a reason to try it. My seventeen year old daughter ate two bowls and she’s never been a big kale fan. My husband remarked, “this lettuce is really good.” And my boys even didn’t resist! The acid in the lemon breaks down the kale and gets rid of the bitter flavor. Enjoy at the height of summer!

1 bunch kale

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

2 tsp. honey

2 peaches, peeled and diced

handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds

Remove the thick stems from the kale. Chop the kale leaves into pieces no larger than a dime (but not too small). Put kale in a medium bowl and toss with the juice from 1/2 of the lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt (I like to use coarse grind) and a drizzle of olive oil. Allow to sit 15, tossing several times. In a small bowl, add two teaspoons of honey to the rest of the lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the 1/4 cup of olive oil, a bit at a time. Toss this dressing over the kale. Add two chopped peaches and pepitas. Toss again and enjoy!

This is also posted at Food Renegade Fight Back Friday

A Trip to the Hostess Outlet Gone Bad

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

I was seventeen and my friend had a car. In an easy twenty minute drive, we could be at a forbidden place that elicited excitement and yearning. The Hostess Outlet Store. This was an off-limits store in my family. My mother thought Ho-Hos were evil and Twinkies led to disease. (She also grew sprouts under the sink.) A pink coconut covered Snowball never graced our pantry shelves. So of course, forbidden fruit was sweeter, and now I had a way to get it.

Giggling, we filled our basket with as many boxes as our babysitting money would buy. We gorged ourselves on nearly expired, chemical- filled pastries (that is a dishonor to the word, I know). After three or four assorted cupcakes, Ho Hos and Twinkies I felt so sick. My friends even tried throwing up. Not a pretty picture. After that I never ate Hostess products again. Really. I never could do it.

This brings up an interesting point about sugar. If we make sugar forbidden, does it make it more desirable? My sister once had a neighbor child who found out where her candy stash was stored, ate sizable quantities every time she was over, and hid the wrappers behind my sister’s sofa. Of course my nieces and nephew were blamed. Eventually the real culprit was found and the girl’s mother was shocked because, “She knows I don’t let her eat candy except for special occasions.” And my own glory days, riding around searching for sugar-filled treats, certainly confirms that forbidden foods do create a lure. Even now, if I tell myself, “No chocolate today”, I feel a magnetic force pulling me to the chocolate.

So how do we live with the constant attraction to sugar?

First step: Understand It. Do you know what sugar does in your body? None of it is good. It decreases immune function, inhibits absorption of nutrients, can cause obesity, lower levels of good cholesterols, can lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes etc, etc, etc…feeling bad yet about that third cookie you ate last night? Start talking about sugar with your family. It isn’t just a food that makes you gain weight; it is a food that robs you of your health.

Second Step: Set Realistic Limits. Sugar is not an all-day food, but we know we’re going to eat it. In our house sugar is a twice a day food. My children generally adhere to this, but as teens I know they’re making their own decisions too. (The closest Hostess Outlet is about a half hour away!) But it has been instilled that sugary items are not snack foods. Sugary foods are treats and we call then that.

Third Step: Eat Quality Sugar. Anyone can look at the Hostess Cupcake and know it isn’t quality food. It may satisfy that sugar craving, but it is loaded with chemicals and preservatives. If you’re going to eat sugar, don’t also eat it with a dose of artificial stuff. Make cookies, eat good quality chocolate or ice cream (Graeters ice cream from Cincinnati is now available in Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores!), or visit a local bakery that uses real ingredients.

Make peace with the sugar that is calling your name. It’s going to keep calling. You have to set some boundaries. Or like any unhealthy relationship, you’re going to end up feeling bad.

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The 350 Slices-Per-Second Obsession

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

How did it happen? How did pizza become America’s comfort food? When I’m stressed and in no mood to cook, I want pizza. When any event involving kids happens, pizza is served. The combination of bread, sauce and cheese has Prozac-like properties. According to Domino’s Pizza, Americans eat 350 slices of pizza per second. My family decided to help that statistic grow…

A few years ago the kids and I went on a pizza tour. We set out to find our favorite. We visited six pizza shops in a two hour period. Now I know pizza is not a healthy food. I get it, I’m the wellness mom. But pizza is a weakness. I pay the next day with a bloated feeling and puffy eyes from the salt and carbs, but “mmm, I love a good pizza”.

Working on Six Pittsburgh Pizzas

The tour was successful and other than no one wanting pizza for several weeks, we all have fond memories of our mad pizza dash. And although it wasn’t the healthiest excursion, it did expose the kids to the concept of food quality. We ranked the pizzas on crust, sauce, flavor, and toppings. After tasting a crust baked over a wood fire, a frozen concoction in a box no longer held any special appeal. So now I have a house full of pizza snobs.

Fiori's A Pittsburgh Pizza Institution - 2nd Place

My own homemade pizza still remains one of my family’s favorites. It is hard to get a whole wheat crust to taste like it’s from a pizza parlor oven, but the quality of toppings, including fresh mozzarella, homemade pesto and nitrate free pepperoni, make mine stand out in the flavor department. I made one a couple weeks ago with grilled veggies and goat cheese. (Okay, my kids didn’t eat it but I thought it was delish!)

If you’re doing your part to contribute to the 350 slices per second, and really, who isn’t eating pizza, consider making a healthier version yourself.

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza

I like to roll the crust very thin so it gets crunchy like a true Italian-style pizza. This recipe makes two full cookies tray sized pizzas…cold pizza the next day isso good! Start your dough by 4:00 and pizza is ready by 6:00.

• 2 cups warm water

• 3 tsp. yeast

• 4 ½ cups whole wheat white or regular whole wheat flour (white whole wheat is from a lighter grain and is still 100% whole wheat, if using all regular whole wheat you may want to cut it with some all-purpose flour)

• 1 ½ tsp. salt

• 1 ½ tsp. dried Italian herbs

• 2 Tbs. corn meal (for dusting pans)

Put warm water in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and herbs then slowly add the flour one cup at a time. Let the mixer knead dough for 6-8 minutes. Dough should pull away from the sides and be smooth to the touch. Add more flour if dough is sticky. Put dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with a dishcloth. Allow dough to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 45 min. to an hour. Punch the dough down and divide into two pieces.

On a floured cutting board, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle. If the dough sticks, add more flour. The dough should be fairly thin. Transfer the pizza crust to an 18×13 cookie sheet that has been dusted with 1 TBS of the cornmeal. It may lose its shape a bit when you transfer…just reshape it once it is on the tray. Repeat with the second ball of dough and place on second cookie sheet. Top with homemade sauce and favorite toppings. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. You should rotate pizzas in the oven. Allow the pizza to cool for 5 minutes before you cut.

Homemade Pizza Sauce:

• 1 15 oz can organic tomato sauce

• 1 tsp. dried Italian herb mix

• ½ tsp. dried oregano

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 tsp. sugar (if you like a bit sweeter sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl while dough is rising. Easy, easy.

This is also published at Fight Back Friday.